Rumbelle - Married
by harrygirl320
Summary: In which Belle needs someone to be her fiance for a family party, and calls upon Mr. Gold for help. Storybrooke Cursed AU - Belle never loses her memories or gets locked in the asylum. Minor spoilers for Skin Deep. Takes place before the curse is broken and before Gold gets his memories.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! I actually got the idea for this one when watching this movie called My Fake Fiance. Hope you enjoy!

Belle had a problem.

It was all her fault, really; she had been such a fool.

_Engaged._

That's what she had told her cousin, Fiona, after all. It had seemed harmless enough – she wouldn't be teased for being the 'lonely bookworm' anymore, and when she went to her cousin's wedding next weekend, she wouldn't be pressed by her family about why she was still single.

It didn't really bother her that she had never found anyone; true love needed time. But her family's prodding had always gotten under her skin, _especially_ when they pushed her towards that idiot, Gaston.

So when she casually mentioned that she had gotten engaged a few weeks ago, the last thing she had wanted was her Fiona's squeal of happiness and insistence that she simply _must_ bring him to the wedding, because he just _had_ to meet the family, and besides, she needed to see if he was as _absolutely gorgeous_ as she could picture him to be.

And despite Belle's refusal, she kept pushing and pushing and, well, it was going to be her wedding, after all. She couldn't say no, in the end.

When she hung up, she could feel the knots in her stomach twisting and turning. What had she agreed to?

She set the phone down with a sigh and began to mull it over, considering her choices. She would need a fake fiancé. Jefferson would most likely agree if she begged him enough, but he was nowhere to be found recently. And David would have done anything to help anyone, but everyone knew how in love he was with Mary Margaret.

She paused when her thoughts turned to Mr. Gold. Her immediate reaction was _of course not_. It wasn't his reputation; that had never bothered her. He had always been polite when she would go into his shop every week to look at his old books, and he'd always nodded back, albeit a bit surprised, after she would say hello when they passed each other on the street.

But he was always so withdrawn, and so incredibly _intelligent_. She could only imagine that smug smirk that would be on his face if she were to tell him what had happened. She couldn't see him agreeing to anything that involved something so _stupid_, but at the same time…she could. He had always been kind to her, kinder than she had expected.

The more she thought about it, the more that she warmed to the idea. Going to a wedding with him might actually be enjoyable.

She made up her mind to go to his shop the next day.

She made her way to his shop early in the morning, wrapping her coat around her to fight against the cold as she walked down the street. She had wanted to go later, but she had hardly slept. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be gnawing away at her, eating away any chance she had of worrying about anything else other than what his reaction might be.

She hesitated outside of his door. _Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

She took a deep breath and pushed open the door, hearing the little bell jingle above her as she stepped inside.

Too late to go back now.

"Yes?" He appeared in the doorway, coming out of the back of the shop, and – though she definitely could have imagined it – she thought she saw the shadow of a smile flicker across his face as he saw it was her.

"Hello." She smiled nervously, slightly proud that her voice hadn't shook like she'd thought it would.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I…I believe you can." She took a step closer. Suddenly her mind was blank; what had she wanted to say? How could she even explain what had happened? "Well, I…" she paused, hesitating. "I'm going to a wedding on Saturday."

"Congratulations."

She heard the slight mockery in his tone but ignored it, continuing. "It's my cousin's, actually, and…well…she believes that I'm engaged."

At this he raised his eyebrow, and she could practically see that she had caught his attention. "Oh?"

She nodded, feeling almost dizzy with nerves, but she knew that was ridiculous. She wasn't _seriously_ asking him to marry her, and she could always find someone else if he disagreed. "I'm not, obviously, but…" She sighed. "I was wondering if you could accompany me."

He stopped, and for the moment, she saw that she had stumped him. For once, he had no quick remark or witty comeback. And judging by the look on his face, he didn't even comprehend what she had asked.

"I need someone to pretend to be my fiancé, just for a night. But if you're busy or something, then I can always ask someone else."

"No!" His reply was quicker than it should have been, and he cleared his throat, composing himself. "No. I…I don't believe I have anything planned for that day."

She nodded. Mixed with her relief was amusement, and she held back a smile.

He noticed, of course, and gave her an annoyed look. "But you should know your family is probably aware of my…reputation."

"Yes, of course they are. And?"

Again, he was rendered momentarily speechless. "And?" He repeated dubiously.

"_And_ it hardly matters. As far as they know, I'm completely in love with you." Again, he looked flustered at the very idea. "And if that were true, then they shouldn't care who you are or _what_ your reputation is."

He just nodded, and for a moment they had nothing to say.

"I'll pick you up at seven, then?" He asked.

"It's a deal."


	2. Chapter 2

By 6:00, Belle was ready. She had rushed through everything in her nervousness for tonight. What if he didn't show up? And what if he _did_?

There would be no right answer, and either way Belle felt as if she would lose. She kept glancing out the window every few minutes, but by the time 7:00 rolled around, she saw his car pull up outside her house and breathed in relief, taking one last glance in the mirror when she grabbed her bag.

She was wearing a yellow gown that had just seemed _right_ to her, and half of her hair was pulled up, the bottom of it curled. She looked herself over – her makeup would be acceptable, she supposed, and she doubted anyone would notice that her bag wasn't quite the same tint as her dress. She hurried out the door, making her way to his car and sitting down in the passenger seat.

It wasn't until she had strapped herself in and settled into the car that she noticed Mr. Gold hadn't taken his eyes off her since the moment she had left the house. She gave a sheepish grin and immediately, he turned away.

"Hello," she said, and he muttered something to her as he pulled out of the driveway.

"What was that?"

"I…You look nice, that's all."

She grinned and felt herself blush, letting her hair fall in front of her face with the hope that he wouldn't notice.

"Why thank you."

"Anyway," he said quickly, changing the subject. "What's the plan?"

"It won't be too long, only a few hours, and then we can simply say the engagement didn't work out."

He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road, and she really looked at him for the first time. He was wearing a suit that was obviously more expensive than his normal outfit, and for some reason, that surprised her. Showing up was more than enough; she hadn't expected him to put any extra effort in.

"We're going to need a story, you know," he said, glancing at her. "I doubt they'll accept love at first sight for two people like us."

Belle raised an eyebrow. She hadn't really thought about the details much, but love at first sight seemed like as good a way as any. "Why not?"

"Well, it's obvious." He looked at her, expectant for her to agree, but she didn't. He frowned, a bit uncomfortably. "Obviously," he repeated, "anyone can fall in love with _you_. But I highly doubt anyone will believe you fell for my charming personality."

She didn't smile at his attempted humor, only frowned. "I disagree."

"If we're going to be engaged for a day, you don't need to act so polite."

"No, it's true," she insisted. "Perhaps you aren't welcoming at first, but love is layered. There's more to you than what you let people see. After all, you came with me today. I think you have more good in your heart than you know."

He didn't reply for a moment, and his features were impossible for her to read. When he finally spoke up, his tone was casual. "That wasn't _kindness_, dearie. It was a deal, and you'll pay the price sooner or later."

"I don't think you mentioned any price," she countered, and he shot her a glare.

"Of course I did."

She could almost see him thinking, frowning as he realized his mistake. She smiled triumphantly and leaned back, crossing her arms against her chest.

"You did this because you're _good_."

"It was a mistake. I did it because I'm sloppy, at best."

But Belle just smiled to herself and shook her head. "Whatever you say."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this one took so long! I'll try to be quicker with the next one!

The rest of the car ride was uneventful. It was quiet, but not nearly as awkward as she'd thought it would be. Every once in a while one of them would mention the song that was playing, or they'd tell a story of what had happened at the library or the shop. But eventually they got there, and were checking their coats at the lobby.

She could feel the stares on them as they walked towards the party. Even this far out of Storybrooke, his reputation preceded him. She wondered if he even noticed anymore.

As they walked into the party, she was relieved to find that not many people were paying attention to them. Everyone was too focused on their own drinks and dances, and she didn't know many of the people there, anyway.

The music was blasting and the lights were dimmed, and around them people laughed and chatted with each other, eating small appetizers and sipping their drinks. Not far away was the dance floor, and Belle realized that tonight she probably wouldn't get to be out there much. She looked around, wondering when everyone that she knew would arrive.

And of course, the moment they stepped closer to the tables she felt someone wrap her arms around her, kissing both her cheeks and saying something inaudible over the music. She recognized her aunt and said hello, as well as her cousins and uncles.

"Is this your fiancé?" Belle nodded and before she could stop her, the woman pulled Gold into a hug as well, and she giggled as she watched him stand there stiffly, obviously flustered.

Belle laughed and grabbed his hand, walking him over to their table. She wished she couldn't feel him tense up at her touch – They _were_ supposed to be engaged, after all.

He walked ahead and pulled the chair open for her, and she smiled and sat down.

"You have a very affectionate family," he muttered, and she smiled apologetically.

"Oops?"

"I should have figured." He rolled his eyes and sat down next to her, taking a sip of his water. "Is there anyone else I should be worried about?"

"I don't know that many people here. Just them, my cousin, Gaston, and my father, of course." She frowned. She could only imagine what her father's reaction would be. The two of them hadn't been very close, but she couldn't see him accepting that as an excuse not to tell him something big like this.

He just nodded, but she could tell he was barely listening. She sighed, listening to the music change to something softer, to a song she knew well from when she was younger.

"I love this song," she commented, and she glanced at Gold. His expression was unreadable, as always, but he wasn't able to hide his hesitation. She looked at him curiously as he suddenly stood up, holding out his hand.

"Shall we dance?"

She looked at him with disbelief, and for a moment she saw something flicker across his face – Doubt? Uncertainty? – But then it was gone.

"Well, I suppose we must." She felt a smile growing on her face as she stood up, taking his hand in her own. She was surprised to find how nervous he seemed now, leading her over to where everyone was dancing.

She rested her hand on his shoulder as he set his on her waist, and despite the fact that they weren't truly in love, the smile on her face wasn't at all forced. He held her close as they danced, and as she swayed back and forth to the sound of the music, she felt completely at peace.

"You're quite the dancer," she said quietly, and he just grinned.

"And you're not half as bad as I'd expected."

She just smiled, and almost without a thought rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel him stiffen awkwardly as he glanced down at her in surprise, but she didn't mind. After a moment's hesitation, she could feel him pull her closer to him, and she smiled to herself.

But of course, the song ended, replaced by some pop song with a faster beat and a drum so loud that she felt it in her chest.

"And this is where I take my queue to leave," muttered Gold, and together, they walked back to the tables.

They ordered their meals and idly chatted with the rest of her family, and to her surprise, Gold was completely polite. He didn't get offended at anyone's snide remarks about his reputation – or at least, didn't _act_ offended – and by the time their food arrived, he could have been one of them.

She couldn't help but be impressed, and the act he put on was so good, she could have fallen for it herself. It was impossible for anyone to miss the long looks he gave her as she would talk, the way he not so subtly glanced at her every five minutes. She was glad for the dimmed lights, or they all would have noticed her blush.

Then her father arrived.


End file.
